


Five Nights, Five Conversations

by realityisoverrated



Series: Infinite Love [105]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Polyamory, Polyfidelity, Smoaking billionaires, Toliver, flommy, olicity - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 14:24:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10833105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/realityisoverrated/pseuds/realityisoverrated
Summary: It's been 48 hours since Tommy and Oliver kissed Felicity and each other. It's been 24 hours since they decided to ask Felicity to be with them. It takes them another five nights to figure out how to ask her.





	Five Nights, Five Conversations

**Author's Note:**

> This story depicts a polyamorous relationship between one woman and two men. If this is not something you are interested in, please stop and go no further. 
> 
> This fic is set in the five days leading up to Tommy and Oliver asking Felicity to be in a triad with them in, The First Time. It also immediately follows the second to last section of, Where You Are, There I Am.
> 
> This installment is 8/105. (There is a known issue at AO3. If viewing the stories from the series page, the story numbers aren't always correct. The story number when you open the individual stories is correct).  
> 1\. Penguinbreak (104)  
> 2\. Beautiful Stranger (Part 28)  
> 3\. The Hack of the Golden Dragon (Part 36)  
> 4\. Two Lights (Part 96)  
> 5\. Girl Wednesday (Part 41)  
> 6\. This Time Last Year (Part 44)  
> 7\. We’ve Got Tonight (Part 85)  
> 8\. Five Nights, Five Conversations (Part 105)  
> 9\. The First Time (Part 1)  
> 10\. Distraction (Part 95)  
> 11\. The Interim CEO (Part 88)  
> 12\. Aloe and Chamomile (Part 40)  
> 13\. The Italian Restaurant (Part 3)  
> 14\. Ground Rules (Part 43)  
> 15\. Do The Hustle (Part 21)  
> 16\. The Secret Ingredient (Part 65)  
> 17\. Wherever You Are, There I Am (Part 8)  
> 18\. Test and Adjust (Part 102)  
> 19\. Perfect (Part 16)  
> 20\. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (Part 49)  
> 21\. Practical Jokes and Other Misunderstandings (Part 14)  
> 22\. Incentives (Part 93)  
> 23\. Cobble Hill (Part 4)  
> 24\. The Sunnybrook (Part 51)  
> 25\. House Warming (Part 15)  
> 26\. 30 (Part 30)  
> 27\. Hong Kong (Part 35)  
> 28\. Twenty Questions Over Brunch (Part 11)  
> 29\. When A Kiss Is Not A Kiss (Part 86) (  
> 30\. Hildy (Part 5)  
> 31\. Burgers & Lies (Part 9)  
> 32\. You Say You Want A Revolution (Part 22)  
> 33\. Unexpected Gifts (Part 70)  
> 34\. Look Me In The Eye And Make Me Feel The Truth (Part 12)  
> 35\. Fight Night (Part 20)  
> 36\. Fear and Loathing (Part 42)  
> 37\. With The Band (Part 53)  
> 38\. The Scarecrow (Part 59)  
> 39\. An Island Of His Own Making (Part 74)  
> 40\. Pas de Deux (Part 75)  
> 41\. Take It Back (Part 76)  
> 42\. Alumni Of The Year (Part 90)  
> 43\. Into Thin Air (Part 17)  
> 44\. Moonlighting (part 98)  
> 45\. Haunted (Part 58)  
> 46\. It Sings To Me (Part 84)  
> 47\. Ask Me And I’ll Tell You No Lies (Part 94)  
> 48\. Let The Sun Shine (Part 92)  
> 49\. It’s Just Like Falling (Part 27)  
> 50\. Will You Still Love Me, Tomorrow? (Part 7)  
> 51\. Life With The Arrow (Part 23)  
> 52\. Rendezvous With Destiny (Part 101)  
> 53\. Up All Night (Part 6)  
> 54\. Welcome Home (Part 10)  
> 55\. Deadshot (Part 62)  
> 56\. Better Than Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes (Part 24)  
> 57\. The Right To Remain Silent (Part 61)  
> 58\. Home Is Where You Are (Part 2)  
> 59\. Somebody Get A Hammer (Part 26)  
> 60\. Tush Push (Part 48)  
> 61\. Elves (Part 68)  
> 62\. Three (Part 13)  
> 63\. Life Lived In The Tabloids (Part 18)  
> 64\. Baby Talk (Part 91)  
> 65\. Tokyo Calling (Part 25)  
> 66\. Something Blue (Part 39)  
> 67\. I Do. I Do. I Do. (Part 82)  
> 68\. Prudence Chastity (Part 19)  
> 69\. Love Is Worth It In The End (Part 33)  
> 70\. The Mini (Part 38)  
> 71\. The Hall of Fame (Part 46)  
> 72\. A Name By Any Other (Part 47)  
> 73\. The Drop Out (Part 32)  
> 74\. Homework (Part 64)  
> 75\. The Investigation (Part 97)  
> 76\. Count Your Blessings (Part 71)  
> 77\. William (Part 29)  
> 78\. Hold On For One More Day (Part 31)  
> 79\. I Have No Gifts To Bring (Part 72)  
> 80\. Rebecca (Part 99)  
> 81\. Yours, Mine, Ours (Part 37)  
> 82\. Rules Are Made To Be Broken (Part 55)  
> 83\. The Forty-Year-Old Graduate (Part 78)  
> 84\. Take Me Out To The Ballgame (Part 83)  
> 85\. Hope Is Believing In The Light When All You See Is Darkness (Part 52)  
> 86\. Emma (Part 77)  
> 87\. Open Up And Say Ah (Part 60)  
> 88\. Tommy Merlyn’s No Good, Very Bad, Terrible Day (Part 81)  
> 89\. The Magician’s Final Disappearing Act (Part 100)  
> 90\. Amazing Grace (Part 103)  
> 91\. I Would Not Trade What Might Have Been For What Is (Part 50)  
> 92\. Brothers (Part 45)  
> 93\. Saturdays With The Green Arrow (Part 34)  
> 94\. True Love (Part 87)  
> 95\. Hallelujah (Part 69)  
> 96\. The Green Arrow Did It (Part 73)  
> 97\. Strawberry Milkshake With A Side Of Why (Part 56)  
> 98\. All About The Jeans (Part 54)  
> 99\. A Bunny For Prue (Part 63)  
> 100\. Day 107 (Part 67)  
> 101\. Genius Child (Part 89)  
> 102\. Boys Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Girls Who Kiss Boys Who Kiss Boys (Part 57)  
> 103\. Scars (Part 79)  
> 104\. Tummy Aches and Heart Aches (Part 66)  
> 105\. Gut Punch (Part 80)
> 
> If you are new to the series, welcome.  
> Arrow and its characters do not belong to me.

Artwork by ligiapimenta

 

**Monday**

Tommy wiped his palms across his thighs as he paced his living room. Oliver was late, which under normal circumstances wouldn’t be all that alarming, but their circumstances were far from normal. It had been less than twenty-four hours since they’d admitted that they were both in love with Felicity and still had feelings for one another. If those circumstances weren’t extreme enough, Tommy had made a suggestion he still couldn’t believe he’d spoken aloud. A suggestion that made him wonder if Oliver wasn’t going to show at all. All he could think was that he’d been temporarily insane to propose that they date Felicity and each other together, as a threesome. He dropped heavily onto his sofa. Oliver was never going to speak to him again and he could forget about Felicity wanting to have anything to do with him. He’d seriously miscalculated due to fear, desire and desperation.

The doorbell rang and Tommy swallowed heavily. He felt like he was going to be sick. He stood up and took three slow deep breaths before he crossed his living room to open the front door. His hand hesitated on the doorknob. He took another deep breath and opened the front door. “Hi,” he said nervously.

“Hey,” Oliver stepped into Tommy’s apartment.

Tommy closed the front door and they stood staring at one another. Before everything had fallen apart with Laurel, they would’ve hugged. There wouldn’t have been any thought, they just would’ve embraced. “I haven’t been this nervous or felt this awkward since my first date with Susie Jones,” he said with a tight smile.

“She would’ve kissed you, if you’d just gone for it,” Oliver teased gently.

Tommy’s reply was the same as when he was fourteen, “You always say that, but you weren’t there. You didn’t see how she looked at me, like I was about to murder her.”

“I think we should just pull the Band-Aid off, okay?” Oliver asked stepping closer. “I’m going to kiss you so we can just get it out of the way so you don’t look like a skittish colt the rest of the night.”

“I don’t look like a skittish colt,” Tommy protested as his heart raced in his chest and sweat trickled down his spine.

Oliver’s hands gently rested against Tommy’s side and pulled him closer, “Stop talking so I can kiss you.”

“Okay,” Tommy started to say, but his second syllable was cut off by Oliver’s lips brushing against his. Oliver’s lips were cold, he tasted of peppermint and smelled like leather and snow. The feel of Oliver’s lips were familiar and Tommy felt his nervousness melt away. He didn’t need to be nervous, because it was Oliver and, no matter what happened between them, Oliver would always be his home.

The kiss was tender, but brief. Oliver placed another soft kiss to Tommy’s lips before he pulled back. He smiled, “It’s better than I remember.”

Tommy could feel himself blushing, “It is.”

“Six and a half years was way too long,” Oliver squeezed Tommy’s hand.

“It was,” Tommy agreed with Oliver’s colossal understatement and could feel his eyes begin to well. He quickly walked past Oliver. The last thing he wanted Oliver to see were tears in his eyes.

He walked into his kitchen with Oliver following. Tommy looked around his kitchen at the prep work he’d done for their meal, “I just realized that it’s dinner time for you, but I’m usually eating breakfast before I go to the club. I was going to make french toast, but I can do something else.”

“French toast is fine.” Oliver took off his coat and draped it over one of the kitchen stools. “What can I do to help?”

“You can melt the butter in this pan. I’ll put the bread in the batter,” Tommy said as he retrieved the egg mixture from the fridge.

Twenty minutes later they were sitting down at Tommy’s dining room table. Oliver took a bite of his toast and closed his eyes. “This is Raisa’s recipe,” he said with awe. “How did you get it?”

Tommy shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He didn’t like thinking about why he had Raisa’s recipe. Oliver surprised Tommy by taking hold of his hand. Tommy let out his breath slowly, “After the Gambit, Thea was struggling. She’d show up at my place in the middle of the night. I asked Raisa to show me how to make it because it always was Thea’s favorite.”

“Thank you,” Oliver’s voice was thick with emotion.

“For what?” Tommy squeezed Oliver’s hand.

“For looking after Thea when I couldn’t,” Oliver blinked back his tears.

Tommy slipped his hand out from Oliver’s, “You don’t have to thank me for that. I didn’t do as good a job as I should’ve. Fifteen was a bad year for her. That year was bad for me too,” Tommy said looking away. Memories of Hong Kong and Laurel came rushing back.

“You made sure she wasn’t alone. I don’t know if I’d been here if I’d have been able to keep her away from the drugs. Partying and bad choices might just be part of our DNA,” Oliver said sadly.

Tommy pushed his food around on his plate. There were so many things Tommy had kept from Oliver since his return. The five years Oliver had been gone, Tommy had become another person. He worried that maybe they’d changed too much to recapture what they’d shared before the Gambit. And then there was Laurel. There was a large part of him that feared they’d never be able to move beyond Laurel.

Oliver put his fork down, “Where’d you go?”

“I think we need to talk about Laurel,” Tommy said without looking at Oliver.

“Okay,” Oliver said cautiously. “What about Laurel?”

Tommy narrowed his eyes, “Don’t you have questions for me? About me and Laurel?”

“Are you done?” Oliver nodded towards Tommy’s plate.

“Yeah.”

“Let’s talk in the other room,” Oliver stood up from the table and cleared the dishes into the kitchen.

They entered the living room and Tommy immediately began to pace. Oliver sat down on the sofa. Oliver spoke first, “Were you in love with her back in high school?”

Tommy stopped walking and emphatically said, “No. No, I didn’t have feelings for her until after the Gambit. In high school, I mostly felt sorry for her. You were a terrible boyfriend.”

Oliver looked down at his hands, “Did she know about us?”

“No. I never told her about us. How could I? She was already so upset with you, I couldn’t add to it.” Tommy had never considered telling the Laurel the truth about his history with Oliver. It seemed cruel to tell her how much worse Oliver’s betrayal had been and how he’d been an active part of that betrayal.

“When did you two get together?” Oliver asked.

Tommy walked over to the windows and stared at the bright lights of the city. He could see QC and Merlyn Global all lit up. The Merlyn building was vacant and still waiting to be sold. The lights were on, but no one was home. Tommy had felt the same when he returned from Hong Kong and fully accepted Oliver’s death. Tommy had gone through the motions of living, but he’d checked out of his own life. The acceptance of Oliver’s death had turned Tommy into an empty shell. He rested his forehead against the cold glass, “Two years after the Gambit sank, someone logged into your email account. Your account had been accessed from an internet café in Hong Kong. I didn’t think. I just went to Hong Kong with this crazy idea that I’d be able to find you. Instead, I was kidnapped. Someone had thought that they’d be able to extort money from your mom, but I showed up instead. Before my dad was even approached with a ransom demand, I was rescued by the Hong Kong police. When I got home, I was in bad shape. I started hitting the booze and drugs pretty hard. I was out clubbing and going home with a different woman every night. I was trying to make the pain stop. I woke up in strange beds with women I couldn’t even remember. I woke up on the beach a few times. The hospital, three times. Once in a jail in Oaxaca. I still have no idea how I got to Mexico. I had no ID. Dad refused to come for me. Walter’s the one who actually showed up and bailed me out. One night, after a particularly bad fight with my dad, I was missing you and drowning my sorrows at a seedy bar. I was drunk, but not drunk enough that I couldn’t think and all I could think about was breaking my promise. I just wanted the pain to stop.” Tommy knew he didn’t have to explain what promise he was referring to. “It was late, too late to visit with Thea, and I was afraid that if I went home, I’d break my promise. The only person I could think of who would let me in and understand what I was going through was Laurel. I showed up on her doorstep wasted and sobbing. Not two of my more attractive looks. She was kind and listened to me and held me as I cried about you being dead. She let me take a shower, filled me with coffee and listened some more. Holding led to kissing, which led to sex.”

“You dated for three years before I got home,” Oliver stated.

“You couldn’t call what we did dating.” Tommy caught Oliver’s eyes reflected in the glass, “We were both in so much pain, but it hurt less when we were together.”

“I’m glad you had each other,” Oliver said as he wiped tears from his eyes. “I’m so grateful she answered the door that night.”

Tommy laughed nervously and turned around, “I keep waiting for you to punch me.”

Oliver flinched, “I’m not going to punch you.”

“You’ve punched me before, not that I didn’t deserve it,” Tommy said apologetically. He’d definitely provoked Oliver into hitting him.

“Don’t,” Oliver said forcefully, “say that. You never deserved to be punched, especially by me. I shouldn’t have allowed what you said to get under my skin.”

“I always knew what buttons to push to get a reaction from you. I was setting myself up to be punched.” Tommy looked back out the window, “I needed you to punch me. I felt so guilty for being in love with her and I was confused - it felt like I was betraying you - twice.” Tommy didn’t know what he felt guiltier about, falling in love with Oliver’s girl or falling in love with anyone who wasn’t Oliver.

“I’m still sorry,” Oliver insisted “I never ever wanted to hurt you. I’m ashamed.”

“We’ll see if you won’t want to take a swing at me before this night is through,” Tommy cautioned as he turned back to face Oliver. “Laurel and I didn’t officially start dating until you came home. Before that, it was just about sex, or it was supposed to just be about sex. It was complicated.”

“Tell me,” Oliver put his hand on the cushion next to him.

Tommy sat down next to Oliver, “Laurel was of two minds sleeping with me. On one hand, I was the irresponsible best friend of her dead philandering boyfriend. On the other hand, I was devilishly handsome and pretty good in the sack.”

Oliver snorted, “Modest as ever.”

Tommy grinned, “I don’t remember you having many complaints.”

“That’s because I didn’t have any,” Oliver said.

Tommy’s heart began to race and tears filled his eyes, “Don’t.”

Oliver shifted on the sofa to face Tommy and took his hand, “Don’t what?”

“Don’t say stuff like that if you don’t mean it,” Tommy tried to pull his hand free.

Oliver held onto him tighter, “I do mean it. The only thing I regret about our time together was that we didn’t have enough of it. There wasn’t a day that went by that I didn’t miss you.”

“Ollie,” Tommy whispered, “I missed you too.”

Oliver leaned into Tommy and kissed him slowly. He rested his forehead against Tommy’s, “I’m so sorry for everything I put you through. I wish -,” Oliver’s eyes darted to the side, “I wish I made different choices.”

Tommy wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt as they pulled apart, “Laurel was good for me. I stopped drinking, cut way back on the partying. Stopped sleeping around. I studied for the GMATs – went to grad school. Even though we weren’t dating, I wanted her to be proud of me. I needed her to see me the way,” Tommy bit the inside of his cheek to keep the words from leaving his mouth.

“You needed her to see you?” Oliver prompted.

“I needed her to see me the way you did. I needed someone to look at me again like I wasn’t some pathetic, colossal fuck-up. I needed someone to see me.”

“Did she see you?”

Tommy shrugged, “She saw me better than most, but not like you or Felicity. I think Laurel and I lied to ourselves and each other. I think it was why we never dated before you got home– I was a poor substitute for you – she was a poor substitute for you. When you got home, I think she was trying to prove something to herself. Prove that she was really over you.”

“What were you trying to prove?” Oliver asked.

Tommy smiled sadly, “I think I was trying to prove the same thing.”

“When I realized the two of you had gotten together while I was gone, I wasn’t angry. I was sad. I was sad that you didn’t think you could tell me. I was confused that maybe you’d been in love with her when we were younger and that you never told me. I felt less connected to you than I ever did on Lian Yu.”

“Ollie, I never meant to,” Tommy began.

Oliver held up his hand to stop him, “You don’t have to apologize to me. You were wrong – Laurel didn’t love me anymore – we were both trying to go back and we couldn’t. I never made her happy and Laurel deserved to be happy. I saw how she was with you. You made her happy and I screwed that up for you.”

“No, I screwed up. I pushed her away because I was jealous and insecure. I should’ve trusted her instead of pushing her into your arms.” Tommy rubbed his eyes with the heel of his hands, “We all fucked up. We should’ve been honest.” Tommy reached for Oliver, “We can’t make the same mistake with Felicity.”

Oliver took Tommy’s hand, “We won’t.”

Oliver reached into his pocket and retrieved his wallet. He opened the billfold and saw the familiar picture. He hesitated a moment before removing the image and handing it to Tommy.

A small smile crossed Tommy’s lips as he looked upon Laurel, “She looks so young.”

“She surprised me at the marina to see me off. She gave me the picture so I wouldn’t miss her.” Oliver took a deep breath to push his emotions down, “I shoved the picture in my wallet and tried to get rid of her as quickly as I could.”

Understanding dawned on Tommy’s face, “Sara was there.”

“She was circling the parking lot. I’d spotted Laurel before Sara could surprise her,” Oliver admitted with shame.

“You managed to keep it with you,” Tommy said with amazement.

“Yeah,” Oliver said with a small smile. “She was the only piece of home I had. When I looked at this picture, I could see my mom, Thea and you. I would stare at her for hours and think, if I could just get home, I could fix everything. I could be the son, brother, friend, boyfriend, I was supposed to be – who you all wanted me to be – who you all deserved me to be. In the beginning, this was a talisman that gave me strength. This picture gave me the will to fight – survive. Later, after I’d become a monster, I would look at her and remind myself why I should never go home. I needed to protect all of you from what I’d become. I used this picture to remind myself of all the reasons why you were all better off believing I was dead. When I came home with a plan to use my dad’s notebook to save the city, the picture reminded me that I needed to stay away from all of you. I was poison and if I let you get close, you’d all end up like Sara.”

Tears rolled down Tommy’s face, “Is that why you put the wall up? I thought it was because you knew I was with Laurel.”

“Partly,” Oliver wished he could say it was only because of Laurel. “I knew that you’d reject me if you knew what I’d become. I’m no good, Tommy. I’m just like him.”

“No,” Tommy shook his head, “you’re nothing like him. You’re a hero. You save people.” There wasn’t any comparison, in Tommy’s mind,’ between his father and Oliver.

“I’m no hero, Tommy,” Oliver wiped his eyes. “I’m a killer,” he looked Tommy in the eyes, “a murderer.”

Tommy rose to his feet, anxiety coursing through his veins, “Don’t throw those words back at me. I was hurt. I wish I never said them.”

“Why?” Oliver asked sadly. “They’re true. I am a murderer.”

“Not anymore,” Tommy tried to rationalize. He still struggled with what the island had made Oliver, but the boy he loved was still there. He was seeing more and more of the man he knew with every passing day.

Oliver hung his head, “Don’t lie to yourself to make it okay to be with me. I just killed a man.”

“To save, Felicity,” Tommy’s voice was rough.

Oliver looked up with surprise.

Tommy cleared his throat, “You saved her. Losing her wasn’t an option.”

“No,” Oliver agreed, “it wasn’t.”

Tommy sat back down, “I’m not naïve. I know what you did. I know the name of every man you put an arrow in since you’ve come home. I know there are a lot more names I don’t know.” Tommy took hold of Oliver’s hand and tried to force the depth of his love through their connection, “I also know who you are. Yes, you are a killer, but look at how many people you’ve saved. You stand up to bullies just like you did when we were kids.”

“I only ever stood up for you,” Oliver reminded him. “I was an ass to everyone else.”

“You grew up and now you stand up for those who can’t stand up for themselves.” Tommy rested his cheek against their joined hands. “I broke up with Laurel because I thought if she knew the truth about who you were, she would choose you over me. I knew it, because I knew how the truth made me feel.”

Oliver looked at him with surprise, “How?”

“Proud,” Tommy said truthfully. “I was pissed at you, but I was also proud of you. You were doing something to fix this city. I’d never done anything important. I fell apart while you were gone and you just got stronger.”

“You’re the strongest person I know. You always were,” Oliver said. “When things got bad, I’d remind myself of what you endured and how you kept going. I wasn’t strong like you. I didn’t stay good and kind and generous and loving.”

“You’re the only reason I could stay that way.” Tommy sank against the sofa, “You don’t know what I became while you were gone. The tabloids only tell half the story. You would’ve been ashamed of me.”

Oliver leaned back and turned to face Tommy, his expression softening, “Impossible.”

Tommy held the picture of Laurel between them, “Why do you still carry her picture?”

Oliver took the picture back from Tommy and returned it to his wallet, “As a reminder.”

Tommy raised his eyebrows.

“A reminder of what is at stake if I fail. I won’t lose anyone else.” He took hold of Tommy’s hand, “I promised her I would stop killing. I need to be the man you and Felicity think I am so I don’t become that monster again. I need you and Felicity to remind me of what I’m fighting for, but every day I see her picture and I remember.”

“What are you fighting for?”

“Our home. I want to make Starling safe again for Thea, you and Felicity. I want to be able to hang up my hood and bow one day and know I made a difference – that I helped save our city for all of us.” Oliver smiled sheepishly, “I sound crazy?”

Tommy’s lips turned up, “You sound like a hero.”

 

 

 

**Tuesday**

Oliver took a long pull on his beer as he watched Tommy. A basketball game was on in the background and the remnants of their sushi dinner sat on the coffee table. Tommy’s thumb was scraping the label on his beer bottle and he appeared lost in thought. Tommy had been animated as they ate dinner and discussed Verdant and some decisions that needed to be made. Things continued to be easy between them as they’d discussed QC and some of Oliver’s concerns about Isabel Rochev and her endgame for the company. The atmosphere had been relaxed right up until they put their chopsticks down. Both men appeared to be reticent to discuss the reason they were having dinner together, Felicity and how they were going to make a relationship between the three of them work. They’d spent fifteen minutes talking about the upcoming spring training schedule for the Rockets.

“Tell me about Thea,” Oliver cut the awkward small talk.

Tommy blinked in confusion before a soft smile turned up his lips, “What about Speedy?”

“When I left, she still wore her hair in long braids and played with Barbie dolls. Now, she kisses boys and helps you run a nightclub.” Oliver took another drink, “I know I missed a lot in between.”

“I don’t know,” Tommy’s brow furrowed in concentration, “Thea has always been Thea – she just added hormones.”

“Do the two of you still do your ridiculous bets?” Oliver hoped an easy question would get Tommy to open up.

Tommy looked affronted, “None of our bets are ever ridiculous. We take them very seriously and, yes, they continued while you were gone.”

“Tell me one of them,” Oliver asked with a grin.

Tommy smiled, “The summer before she started high school, she made me chauffer her and her friends around in the Bentley wearing the whole outfit and the little hat. She called me Jeeves and I was only allowed to say, yes, miss.”

“For how long?” Oliver’s eyes followed Tommy as he rose from the sofa and crossed to the bookshelf.

Tommy removed a photo album and opened to a page, “For a week, but it felt like a month. I won that bet. She had to volunteer at my mom’s clinic for a week.”

Oliver took the album and laughed at the photo of Tommy in a gray uniform and cap. He stood at attention next to the gleaming Bentley with Thea standing next to him holding out an armful of shopping bags. “Nice beard,” Oliver said.

“I felt like Jeeves would be the kind of driver to wear a beard,” Tommy leaned over Oliver’s shoulder.

Oliver flipped through the album and watched Thea grow up in front of his eyes. There were pictures of Thea and Tommy at birthday parties, school recitals, concerts, amusement parks, his mom and Walter’s wedding. A picture of Tommy in a graduation gown with Thea wearing his cap made Oliver smile. He turned the picture towards Tommy, “Stanford?”

“Dear old dad was a no show, but your mom and Thea came.” He flipped the page to show him standing between Thea and Moira, “It was a nice surprise.”

“I’m glad you weren’t alone,” Oliver’s hand brushed against Tommy’s. “I wish I had been there too.”

“Your mom,” Tommy said cautiously, “was there for me once she stopped drowning in her own grief. She was always there for me.”

“Tommy,” Oliver warned. He wasn’t in the mood to hear a defense of his mom.

“We’ve chosen to lie to Thea,” Tommy continued without heeding Oliver’s warning. “How can you blame Moira for not wanting Thea to know the truth about Malcolm? We don’t want Thea to know about Malcolm.”

“She threatened Felicity,” Oliver scowled.

Tommy refused to back off, “Listen, I’m pissed about that. Moira was way out of line, but, be honest with yourself. Are you angry with your mom for the lie or are you punishing her for cheating on your dad with mine?”

“I’m not punishing her for sleeping with your dad,” Oliver said defensively. “My dad was always cheating on her. I’m just tired of all of her secrets.”

“This secret wasn’t the Undertaking,” Tommy said sharply. “This secret was to protect our sister from an abusive narcissist. In which universe would we ever want Thea to know that Malcolm is her dad?”

Oliver continued to glare at Tommy, “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Too bad,” Tommy responded defiantly. “This is a stupid reason to be angry with her. She’s your mom and she loves you. I’d give anything to have my mom back. Don’t push Moira away because the time you have with her, it’s finite. Trust me - one day she won’t be there and you’ll regret being angry about this.” Tommy sighed, “Fuck, Ollie. You lost your dad. I shouldn’t have to tell you this. She’s your mom and she was protecting our sister.”

“You’re not mad she had sex with the man that beat you? You’re not mad she didn’t tell you that you had a sister?” Oliver challenged. He knew how much Tommy loved Thea and he also knew how much Tommy longed to have a family beyond Malcolm.

“Knowing Thea is mine too,” Tommy’s eyes welled with tears, “is like a dream come true, but I would give her up to spare her Malcolm for a dad. She doesn’t deserve him for a dad.”

Oliver squeezed Tommy’s hand, “Neither do you.”

“I don’t have a choice about Malcolm being my dad, but we have made that choice for Thea.” Tommy looked at their joined hands, “What if the truth comes out and Thea chooses to hold us to the same standard you’re holding Moira? Will she believe us that we were just trying to protect her? Will she forgive us for this lie?”

Logically, Oliver knew that Tommy was right, but he was still furious with his mom. “Maybe, I do feel a bit betrayed. I’ll think about it, but I’m still furious with her.”

“That’s all I ask,” Tommy smiled. “Think about it.”

“Last night you said that she didn’t handle the Gambit sinking well,” Oliver said as he returned his attention to the album, “but she looks happy in these. She looks like she was okay. You both do.” He wanted to believe that his decision to stay away those last two years had been the right ones. Hearing about Tommy’s self-destruction after Hong Kong had kept Oliver up all night.

Pain washed across Tommy’s face, “Hell, Ollie. How were we supposed to take your death? You left us. We were dying inside, but we had to find a way to move forward.”

“I didn’t leave you by choice,” Oliver said defensively.

Tommy’s jaw snapped together audibly and began to twitch.

The accusation in Tommy’s eyes made Oliver angry, “You think I left you on purpose?”

“I told you not to get on that boat,” Tommy’s voice was barely above a whisper. “I told you that if you got on that boat with Sara, you’d regret it. Why didn’t you fucking listen to me?”

“Tommy,” Oliver hung his head in shame. He remembered his conversation with Tommy before he left on the Gambit. He’d laughed off Tommy’s concerns and had reassured his best friend that going away with Sara was just some harmless fun.

“Thea was heartbroken and angry,” Tommy rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes to hide his tears. “I tried to make things normal for her. Movie nights. Shopping. Going out to dinner. A few hookie days from school to go to the beach to watch the sea lions and hang out on the boardwalk.”

Oliver laughed, “I can only imagine what mom said about you taking Thea out of school.”

Tommy clasped his beer bottle tightly, turning his knuckles white, “Moira was oblivious. She was in so much pain of her own. She added me to the list of people who could pick up Thea from school because there were weeks when she never left her room. If I was already on the list, I figured, what did a few days off here and there hurt?”

Oliver absently rubbed at his chest as he tried to banish the thought of his mom confined to her darkened bedroom and a young Thea left on her own. There were so many times that he’d been grateful for the existence of Tommy Merlyn, but in that moment, he thanked God for Tommy. “We were lucky you were there for her.” Oliver put his beer bottle down, “Thank you, doesn’t seem adequate.”

“I was lucky she was there. It was good to have someone else to worry about,” Tommy’s fingers began to pull the label from the bottle. “I needed her as much as she needed me.”

Oliver put the album down and removed the bottle from Tommy’s hand. “I don’t know if our situations were reversed, if I would’ve stepped up like you did.”

Tommy squinted his eyes, “Why do you do that?”

“Do what?”

“Make yourself out to be some kind of major asshole. Of course you would’ve looked after my sister if our situations were reversed.” Tommy’s fingers brushed against Oliver’s, “You are a good person, even then you were a good person.”

Oliver hooked his index finger around Tommy’s, “We both know that isn’t true.”

“Bullshit,” Tommy hissed. “You always took care of me. You were always there for me.”

Oliver looked into Tommy’s eyes and realized that Tommy believed his words. He only wished they were true. He shook his head, “We both know that if that were true, I never would’ve gotten on the boat with Sara. I would’ve ended things with Laurel. I would’ve told you the truth.”

“You were confused. We both were.” Tommy looked at their joined hands, “That doesn’t make you a bad person, it makes you human.”

Without preamble, Oliver leaned forward and hungrily captured Tommy’s lips between his own. He sank his hands into Tommy’s hair and held him in place as he poured six and a half years of lost kisses into his best friend. As Oliver’s tongue swirled around Tommy’s, Tommy made the most beautiful moan Oliver had ever heard and he began to cry. Despite his tears, Oliver was incapable of breaking their kiss. He needed everything Tommy was willing to give him because he’d gone too long without. He pulled Tommy’s legs onto the sofa and lowered himself until their chests were pressed together. Tommy hooked his legs around Oliver’s and ran his arms up Oliver’s back and took hold of his shoulders. Oliver slowed his kiss and stroked the inside of Tommy’s mouth and took every gasp and moan as a small victory. Oliver gentled his kiss and smiled down on Tommy.

Tommy wiped the tears from Oliver’s face, “You okay?”

Oliver brushed his lips against Tommy’s, “I’d dream about you when I was on the island.”

Tears flooded Tommy’s eyes and he looked away. His chest shook as he tried to hold back a sob, “I dreamt about you too – all the time.”  

“Most of the time, I would dream about you talking,” Oliver smiled when Tommy laughed.

“I guess me talking isn’t that much of a stretch,” Tommy caressed Oliver’s face.

“No, even in my dreams you can’t be quiet,” Oliver teased. He ran his fingers through Tommy’s hair as those first three lonely years came rushing back. It wasn’t until Akio and General Shrieve that Oliver had succeeded in shutting down his feelings and locking away the love he had for those he left behind. “Sometimes, I’d dream that we were out at Bay Point sitting on the hood of my car. Sometimes, we were out at a club or a party.” Oliver kissed Tommy, “Sometimes, we were in my bed and you’d be looking at me the way you are right now. I’d wake up and I’d still be able to taste you on my lips and feel the heat of you on my skin. I loved and hated those dreams. They made me feel less lonely and lonelier than ever – all at the same time.”

Tommy ran the pad of his thumb against Oliver’s bottom lip, “I don’t want to talk.”

Oliver sat back on his knees, pulling Tommy with him. He took hold of the hem of Tommy’s shirt and waited for his permission before lifting it over his head. Once his shirt was off Tommy sat motionless as Oliver studied him. Oliver grinned and reached a tentative finger out to touch Tommy’s chest, “You’re hairier than I remember.”

Tommy looked down at his chest and shrugged, “Puberty had to hit sometime. Twenty-three was a confusing time.”

Oliver huffed out a small laugh. “I like it.” He cleared his throat, “You look sexy.”

A grin spread across Tommy’s lips and his eyes twinkled as he lay down on the sofa, “I’m glad you like it, because, I’m not waxing my chest, not even for Oliver Queen.”

Oliver placed his hands on Tommy’s stomach and a thrill went down his spine when he saw Tommy’s pants twitch. It was a relief that Tommy still wanted him the same way he still wanted Tommy. When he’d first arrived home and Tommy hadn’t said anything, he feared that too much had changed and that Tommy had moved beyond their adolescent relationship. He leaned forward and placed a kiss just below Tommy’s belly button. He lifted his eyes to meet Tommy’s, “I missed this. I missed you.”

Oliver kissed his way up Tommy’s stomach and chest before sucking at the point where Tommy’s neck met his shoulder. Tommy’s back arched and he tugged on Oliver’s hair, “Ollie.”

“Tell me what you need,” Oliver said against Tommy’s neck.

“Tell me, this will work. Tell me, we’ll make the three of us work,” Tommy pleaded.

Oliver shifted so he was looking at Tommy, “I want this to work. I want the three of us to work – more than anything.”

“How do we convince Felicity? What if she doesn’t agree?” Tommy squeezed his eyes shut, “I can’t lose both of you. I can’t.”

Oliver kissed Tommy’s closed eyelids, “I don’t know how we’ll convince her, but I know she doesn’t want to lose us either. We’ll figure it out – tomorrow.”

Tommy opened his eyes, “Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, tomorrow.” Oliver scooted down the sofa until he was able to rest his ear over Tommy’s heart, “Tonight, I just want to hold you.”

Tommy’s fingers trailed through Oliver’s hair and he asked with awe, “You’re going to stay the night?”

Oliver kissed Tommy’s chest and returned to listening to the reassuring thrum of Tommy’s heart. It had been six and a half years since he’d slept with Tommy in his arms. He wasn’t willing to go another night without him. He closed his eyes, “I’m not leaving.”

 _Never again_ , Oliver promised himself as he listened to Tommy’s heart sing.

 

**Wednesday**

The cold February night air bit at Tommy’s exposed skin. His hands were buried in the pockets of his leather coat as he hunched against the whipping wind. Oliver had wanted to go out to dinner and they’d walked several blocks to, The Goose and Gander, a trendy farm to table restaurant that Felicity enjoyed. Tommy and Felicity had been frequent visitors to the restaurant over the summer and it was the first place that popped into Tommy’s head when Oliver had proposed going out. They discussed the Rockets and spring training and a little bit of work stuff, but completely avoided the topic of Felicity.

“How did I let you convince me not to drive?” Tommy’s teeth chattered.

“If you dressed for warmth instead of to impress, you wouldn’t be so cold,” Oliver teased.

Tommy raised an eyebrow, “Did I impress you?”

Oliver smiled shyly, “You know I like you in blue.”

“Felicity bought the sweater for my birthday,” Tommy grinned as he remembered her babble. “She told me she could never resist touching cashmere and that I wouldn’t be able to either and I’d think of her as I touched myself. She spent the next fifteen minutes telling me that she didn’t buy me cashmere so I’d think of her while I touched myself.”

A full-throated laugh, exploded out of Oliver, “She was wearing an earwig for an undercover operation and told me that, it felt good having me inside her.”

Tommy knocked his shoulder into Oliver’s, “She told me that one. She’s still mortified that she said that.”

“Tell me about Felicity,” Oliver asked.

“She was like this whirlwind that swept into my life and just carried me away. One minute I’m sound asleep and the next she’s standing at my door, soaking wet, with a bag of Chinese food and asking me to help her save QC.” Tommy felt warmer with the memory, “She is relentlessly nice and funny and smart. She got me to talk about things that I’d never spoken to anyone about but you. At first, it was just nice to have a friendly face around who didn’t want anything from me but my brain. She kept me from wallowing in self-pity, grief and anger.”

“When did you fall in love with her?”

“I think I was falling in love with her from the moment I first laid eyes on her, but I realized I was in love with her shortly after you came back.” Tommy took a deep breath, determined to put all of his cards on the table, “I was helping her on a deal you were working on and it was raining. I convinced her not to leave. I ordered dinner and as we waited, I turned the radio on and we started to dance. Everything about the moment was perfect – the feel of her in my arms – the look on her face.” Tommy glanced at Oliver expecting to see anger. Instead, he saw curiosity, “I wanted to kiss her so badly, but I couldn’t do it.”

“Why not?”

Tommy stopped walking. Oliver took three steps before he stopped and turned around to look at what caused Tommy to stop. “Are you serious?” Tommy asked. “She was in love with you. I wasn’t dumb enough to step on the same landmine twice.”

Oliver dropped his head and laughed, “Landmine.” He rubbed his hands over his head, “I realized I was in love with her when she came to get me on Lian Yu. She stepped on a landmine and my heart literally stopped. All I could think about was being the cause of death for another woman I loved.”

Tommy moved until he was standing toe to toe with Oliver, “Laurel’s death was my father’s fault, not yours.”

“Maybe, but she wasn’t the only person I’ve lost.”

“Sara,” Tommy stated. He knew that Oliver had cared about Sara, might’ve even loved her. Tommy had always thought that Sara was the better Lance sister for Oliver.

Grief marred Oliver’s features, “Yeah, Sara.”

“But she’s alive,” Tommy reminded him.

“I watched her die twice,” Oliver glanced up at the stars. “The years since, she’s suffered more than any person should.”

“So, you pushed your feelings and Felicity away because you were afraid she was going to end up dead because of you?”

“It started that way and then I saw the two of you together and I realized that the two of you were in love – and - I didn’t want to step on the same landmine twice.”

“We’re quite the pair,” Tommy resumed walking towards his apartment. “We were both sacrificing what we wanted for the other.”

“That’s us, honor and nobility,” Oliver remarked as he fell into step with Tommy.

“Do you think she’ll say yes to our proposal?” Tommy asked.

“This was your idea.” Oliver stopped walking, “Do you think she’ll say no?”

“I don’t know. What are we going to tell her about us?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t know. What are you telling yourself about us?”

“I don’t know,” Tommy wrapped his arms around his chest. “It hardly seems real. There are mornings I wake up and I’m afraid that you being alive was only a dream. For a few minutes, I lay there, terrified to get out of bed because it might mean you’re dead.”

“Tommy,” Oliver took hold of his friend’s arm, “I’m sorry.”

“What do you want to tell Felicity about us?”

“That we want to keep kissing one another and that we want to figure out if we want more than what we had.” Oliver licked his lips nervously, “We do – wanna figure it out, right?”

Tommy looked down at his feet. He wanted more than just kissing from Oliver. He wanted everything that they denied one another before the Gambit went down. He was afraid to ask for more than kisses because he didn’t want to lose Oliver if he wasn’t there yet. Tommy worried that Oliver hadn’t fully thought through the implications of what he proposed, “You do realize, if Felicity agrees to this, we’re both going to be naked – in a bed – together?”

Oliver shifted uncomfortably, “I’m aware.”

“Does it bother you?”

“Honestly, no. Does it bother you?”

“No.” Tommy glanced around to make sure no one was close enough to overhear them, “We’re going to see – watch each other have sex with Felicity. I’m worried about that.”

“You think I’ll be jealous?”

Tommy felt his cheek’s flush with shame, “No, I’m worried that I will.” He decided if he was going to be honest, he was going to be completely honest, “I saw you – with Laurel. I’d gone to apologize to her after you came to my office and I saw you in the window. You didn’t have your shirt on – she was wrapped around you and you were kissing.”

“Tommy,” Oliver’s voice was full of remorse.

“For a moment,” Tommy’s eyes filled with tears, “god, help me, I wished you never came home. All I wished for for five years was for you to come home and, when I saw you in that window, I wished you were still stuck on that island.”

Oliver’s arms were instantly around Tommy and he held him tight, “I’m sorry.”

Tommy melted into the warmth of Oliver’s embrace, “I was angry and jealous and my heart was breaking.”

“It’s okay,” Oliver rubbed Tommy’s back, “I deserved whatever anger you felt. I was wrong, Tommy. I should never have done what I did. I was selfish. I didn’t want to hurt you or Laurel and that’s exactly what I did. I don’t want to be that man anymore.”

“What if I can’t watch you be with Felicity?” Tommy asked as he stepped out of Oliver’s arms. “What if I’m the reason we can’t make this work?”

“I don’t know how we test if we’ll be jealous,” Oliver admitted.

“We can’t ask – I can’t ask Felicity to try this arrangement if I’m going to be a jealous fool. This was a mistake. I never should have suggested it.” Tommy resumed walking towards his apartment. He felt dizzy as his hopes for being able to be with the two people he loved began to slip away.

 

**Thursday**

Oliver knocked twice before opening the door to Tommy's office.  The club was closed, and Oliver knew Tommy would be working on receipts for at least another hour.  Patrol had been quiet and he'd spent most of the night in the basement sparring with Dig.  His friend took harder hits than usual because Oliver was trying to figure out how to fix whatever had gone wrong with Tommy the night before. Once the team called it a night, Oliver had walked Felicity to her car and then returned to the club to speak with Tommy.

"You're ignoring me?" Oliver asked as he closed the office door behind him.

Tommy didn't look up from his receipts, "I'm not ignoring you."

"Twelve unanswered texts and three voice mails tell me something different." Oliver sat in the chair across from Tommy, "Care to tell me what's going on?"

"I let myself get distracted the past few days and I had a lot of work to catch up on. Right now, I'm just trying to close out the books on our club.  Last time I checked, you still cashed your equity checks," Tommy's focus remained on his receipts.

Oliver stretched his legs and folded his arms across his chest, "I'll wait." If there was one thing he knew about Tommy, was that Tommy hated silence.  He was incapable of sitting in a room with someone he thought was upset with him and remain quiet. Tommy always had to fill the silence, all Oliver had to do was wait, and his lifelong friend would eventually spill everything. He didn’t need ARGUS interrogation techniques training to know how to make Tommy Merlyn talk.

The silence stretched between them.  Once Tommy began to tap his foot, Oliver had to resist smiling.  His friend wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer.

Tommy blew out a frustrated sigh and dropped his pen, "Say what you came to say."

"I'm not the one who shut down last night," Oliver pointed out.

"I didn't shut down," Tommy scowled.

"No?" Oliver raised a brow in challenge.  "You barely said a word to me when we got back to your place."

"Were your feelings hurt because I didn't kiss you goodnight?" Tommy snapped.

Oliver counted to three.  It was amazing how little things changed between them over the years.  Tommy's tongue still remained razor sharp when he was in pain or confused.  Oliver allowed the silence to linger, confident that Tommy would regain his composure and apologize for lashing out.

Oliver didn’t have to wait long. Tommy ran his fingers through his hair before leaning back in his chair, "That was me, being an ass.  I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Oliver leaned forward and rested his arms on his knees, "For the record, I did miss our goodnight kiss."

Tommy's lips turned up slightly, "Me too."

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night, or, are we going to sit and stare at each other?"

"I'm still in love with her," Tommy blurted out.

"You feel guilty for falling in love with Felicity," Oliver leaned back in his chair as he began to see the pieces fall into place.

"It's not fair," Tommy rose from his chair and turned to look out his window onto the darkened club floor.  "She's dead and I got to live.  She doesn't get to get older than twenty-seven and I get to have butterflies in my stomach thinking about you and Felicity.  It's wrong.  I should be dead, not Laurel.  My dad should've killed me, not her."

Oliver was instantly on his feet and at Tommy’s side, "Don't ever wish yourself dead.  Death is never fair.  It shouldn't have been Laurel or any of the other five hundred and two people, but it doesn't mean it should’ve been you."

"I'd been so angry with her.  I keep wondering, would I have gotten to her faster if I had been less angry?  Is she dead because I didn't love her enough? Is she dead because I couldn’t see past my own jealousy to give her what she deserved?"

Oliver clasped the back of Tommy's neck, "Laurel's death is not your fault.  Love isn't enough to keep the people we love from dying.  I wish that it was."

"She dies every time I close my eyes.  Every night, I live it over and over," Tommy whispered.  "What does it say that I fell in love with Felicity so soon after Laurel died?  Maybe I'm not capable of love - real love.  What if Malcolm broke me? Laurel is the longest relationship I ever had and I fucked it up. I’m fucked up. I don’t really trust people." He bit the inside of his cheek, "I’m seriously messed up. I think you and Felicity would be better off without me. The three of us, it’s a silly dream. I’m sorry I even brought it up."

Oliver reached behind Tommy and drew the blinds without taking his eyes from his best friend.  He used his thumbs to wipe the tears that fell from Tommy's eyes.  "It would take someone a lot stronger than Malcolm Merlyn to break you.  Every slap.  Every punch.  Every kick.  He diminished himself, not you." Oliver's hand lowered to Tommy's chest, "He could never touch who you really are because he never saw you.  Malcolm was a fool for not seeing how truly amazing you are.  So, no, he didn't break you, - not even close." He fisted his hand in Tommy's shirt and pulled him closer.  "You are capable of love.  I think falling in love with Felicity, after everything you lost, shows how capable of love you are. You have always believed in people. Believe in yourself. Believe in us. Don’t give up before we’ve even tried."

“I’m afraid,” Tommy admitted. “I’m afraid that I’m going to ruin everything and lose both of you.”

“I’m afraid too,” Oliver shared. “I don’t know if we can make this work, but I want to try. What other choice do we have?”

“How do you not hate me?” Tommy clutched Oliver’s shirt between his fingers.

“For Laurel?”

“For Robert.”

“Why would I hate you because of my dad?” Oliver asked with confusion. He could think of nothing Tommy could’ve done to his dad to make him hate his friend. His dad had loved Tommy and Oliver knew that Tommy had loved his dad.

“He’s dead because of my dad,” Tommy said barely above a whisper. “Everything that happened to you – to Sara. Everything your mom and Thea went through – even Walter. The Undertaking. Laurel. All of that was because of my dad.”

“Why would I hate you for all of that?”

Tommy looked up with self-loathing in his eyes, “Because I could’ve stopped all of it from ever happening.”

“How?” Oliver asked gently. “I couldn’t stop him either.”

“If I had only told the truth. When you told your dad what was happening at home and I lied and told him the bruises weren’t from my dad. When Lance asked me how I got my bruises, if I’d been brave enough to tell him it was my dad – your dad would still be alive. You and Sara wouldn’t have been put through hell. I wasn’t strong enough and all of you paid the price for my cowardice.”

“You were a kid. He was your dad. You were afraid – you were right to be afraid.” Oliver dropped his forehead to Tommy’s, “You should hate me. I could’ve told someone the truth back then, but I was so afraid I’d lose you. I thought they’d send you away if anyone knew what your dad was doing to you. I should’ve loved you enough to tell the truth, even if it meant losing you.”

“Ollie,” Tommy pulled him closer, “I wouldn’t have survived if they sent me away from you.”

Oliver brushed the hair from Tommy’s forehead, “I could never hate you. Never.”

Tommy nodded his head. He lowered his eyes to Oliver’s lips and licked his own. Oliver remained completely still as anticipation zipped along his spine. In all their years – with all the kisses shared – Tommy had never initiated a kiss – not once. Oliver moistened his own lips. He could feel Tommy’s breath soft against his face. He waited.

Tommy’s fingers flexed against Oliver’s shirt. “Ollie,” he pleaded quietly.

Oliver wrapped his arms around Tommy’s back and his hands slid up to Tommy’s shoulders. He pulled his best friend closer, but he refused to allow his lips to close the final distance. It suddenly became clear to him why everything went to hell between them and Laurel. He needed Tommy to stop being passive.  He needed Tommy to articulate his wants and needs. If he couldn’t take a kiss he so clearly wanted from Oliver, would he ever be able to assert what he needed from Felicity if they were a threesome? Oliver willed his friend to kiss him. He could feel Tommy’s muscles twitch between his fingers. He seemed to be battling himself over what he wanted. Oliver gently titled Tommy’s chin so that they were looking at one another. “Tommy,” Oliver smiled softly.

Oliver felt Tommy relax beneath his fingertips. Tommy’s hands relaxed and they slid up Oliver’s chest until they met behind his neck. Tommy’s fingers traveled up the nape of Oliver’s neck and scratched lightly against the back of his head. He exerted a slight amount of pressure on the nape of Oliver’s neck and hesitantly brushed his lips against Oliver’s. “Ollie,” he sighed before he licked into Oliver’s mouth.

Oliver’s knees went weak at the caress of Tommy’s tongue. It was unlike any other kiss they’d shared before. It was wet and demanding and Oliver grew hard in an instant. He staggered backwards and Tommy pressed him into the blinds. The plastic bit into his back, but Oliver didn’t care. He was drunk with the feeling of Tommy pressed against him. Tommy’s hips surged forward and Oliver’s hands fell to Tommy’s ass to bring him closer. Oliver encouraged Tommy’s hips to move faster and moaned his pleasure. He wanted this. Now that they’d stoked the flames of what had merely been banked for six and a half years, Oliver wasn’t willing to walk away. He was in love with Felicity, but he still had feelings for Tommy that he could no longer deny.

Oliver returned his hands to Tommy’s chest and began to gentle their kiss. He was desperate for oxygen and he needed his blood to return to his brain so he could think. Tommy’s head dropped to Oliver’s shoulder as he panted to catch his breath. Oliver ran a hand through Tommy’s hair and scratched his scalp lightly, “I want us to figure out Felicity, but I want us to figure us out too.”

“I don’t want to lose you again,” Tommy’s breath tickled Oliver’s neck.

Oliver tugged on Tommy’s hair until their eyes met, “You’re not going to lose me. No matter what happens, you and I will always be okay.”

Tommy pressed soft kisses against Oliver’s temple. His hands caressed Oliver’s back in soothing circles, “We’ll figure this out, I promise. We’ll convince Felicity. We’ll have each other. The universe owes us.”

Oliver wanted to believe Tommy. He wanted to believe that the universe would let him have two people to love and who would love him in return, but there was a part of him that believed he owed the universe far more. He’d spent five years on a dark path doing unspeakable things to survive. He knew the universe was going to exact her price, slowly - he could feel her lurking just out of sight, waiting for her moment to demand her next payment. He shivered and Tommy tightened his embrace.

 

**Friday**

“She’s never going to go for it,” Tommy said as he pulled on his hair.

“Well, how do you want to tell her?” Oliver asked testily. “Hire a sky writer?”

Tommy just glared at his friend, “I thought you were going to be helpful.”

“I think we just tell her that we liked kissing her and each other and we want to keep doing that – together,” Oliver insisted.

They’d been talking about how to ask Felicity to be in a threesome for just over two hours and Tommy felt like they were getting further and further away from sounding like what they were proposing was a reasonable thing. He’d circled back to thinking this was a terrible idea. “We need to ease her into the idea. This is a way out of the box proposal.”

“Like asking someone to be my crime fighting partner?” Oliver teased. “Trust me, Felicity does, out of the box, better than anyone I know.”

“There’s joining a guy in leather and grease paint to fight crime with a bow and arrow and then there’s being in a relationship with two men,” Tommy challenged. “We need to ease her into it.”

“How exactly do we do that? Start taking her places together and hope she doesn’t realize we’re all dating for six months?” Oliver asked sarcastically.

Tommy wrinkled his nose, “No, of course not.”

“A tasteful French film?” Oliver struggled to maintain a straight face, “Finger puppets? I bet Thea has a Barbie and two Ken dolls we could borrow.”

“How is it that I’m the one taking this seriously?” Tommy asked sullenly.

“I’m taking it seriously, but I think there is only room for one of us to have a complete meltdown,” Oliver said.

“I’m not having a meltdown,” Tommy responded feebly.

“We just need to be honest with her,” Oliver promised. “She might tell us, no, but she’ll listen. She likes the direct approach.”

Tommy arched a brow, “You fed her one ridiculous lie after another before she joined your team – clearly, she likes to be eased into new situations.”

Oliver shook his head, “I wouldn’t call finding me bleeding out in the back of her car, easing her onto the team.”

“Have you ever talked to her about sex?” Tommy asked.

“With me? No.”

“No, in general.”

“Aside from some truly epic innuendos, and making fun of me for dating Helena, no, Felicity and I have never had a conversation about sex. Have you?”

“Not directly, but I get the sense she’s not very experienced, which is why I think we should ease her into the idea,” Tommy said.

“I don’t know if I agree. From the way she kisses,” Oliver touched his lips and smiled, “I think she enjoys sex.”

“I’m not saying she doesn’t enjoy sex. With all her innuendos, I bet she talks dirty too.” Tommy sat back down on the sofa, “I’m just saying, she’s made some remarks about our promiscuous pasts and I think that she’s insecure about how she’d stack up against our prior partners.”

“There’s no comparison between Felicity and all those women. Most of them meant nothing to me,” Oliver said with shame.

“That’s kind of my point, Ollie. With rare exceptions, we both have had a lot of meaningless sex. We need her to know that she’s not just another woman we want to fuck and forget.”

Oliver took Tommy’s hands, “Then we tell her that. We tell her that we don’t want to lose her or each other. We tell her that we don’t want anyone to have to choose or to be left out. We tell her we want to try to make the three of us work. Trust me, if we’re honest with her, she’ll listen and know that we’re serious.”

Tommy took a deep breath and his shoulders relaxed, “Okay.”

“She’s coming for lunch tomorrow?” Oliver released Tommy.

“Yes, she brings enough Chinese every Saturday to feed an army,” Tommy answered.

“I’ll join you for lunch and we’ll ask her – tomorrow,” Oliver said definitively.

“Tomorrow?” Tommy’s heart began to race. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to share this idea with Felicity yet. He wasn’t prepared to lose her so soon, if things went poorly.

“It’ll be a week since we kissed her. We really need to talk to her about it, before she stops speaking to both of us,” Oliver replied.

Oliver was right. They couldn’t keep pretending like nothing happened. It wasn’t fair to Felicity. “Okay, after lunch tomorrow. We’ll tell her we want to kiss her again and explore if we can be a three.”

“We’ll tell her it will be on her terms, and we won’t rush her,” Oliver continued. “We’ll tell her we want to make her feel good.”

Tommy nodded, “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay.”

Oliver’s cell vibrated on the coffee table and he reached for it, “Felicity has a lead on a guy we’ve been looking for. She’s calling Dig and me in.”

Tommy looked at the time, “I should put an appearance in at the club. God knows, my business partner won’t be making the rounds.”

“You’re a riot,” Oliver pulled on his leather coat. “What time tomorrow?”

“She’s punctual. Noon on the dot,” Tommy stood up.

“I’ll be here at eleven.” Oliver stopped at the front door, “Do you need a ride?”

“No, thanks.” Tommy looked down at the jeans and sweater he was wearing, “Doesn’t quite meet our dress code. I need to change.”

Oliver hesitated at the door. He studied Tommy for a moment before he shook his head and smiled, “Good night, Tommy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Ollie,” Tommy cried out. He lowered his voice, “Thank you for being willing to try. These past few nights,” he looked at his feet as his words failed him. It had taken a miracle and six years, but he finally felt like he had his Oliver back.

Oliver’s shoes came into view and Tommy raised his eyes. Oliver placed his hand over Tommy’s heart, “It feels like I’ve finally made it home.”

Tommy nodded, “Yeah.”

Oliver kissed Tommy gently, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tommy’s cell chimed. He read a message from Felicity and chuckled, “Looks like I’ll be seeing you in a few minutes. She’s asked me to pick up her sushi order on my way in to work.”

Oliver’s phone buzzed again. He looked at his message and grinned, “She’s asked me to stop for ice cream.”

Tommy began to laugh, “Maybe she’s the one easing us into it.” When Oliver arched a brow, he continued, “I think we might actually already be secretly dating Felicity.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading. Kudos and comments are always welcomed and appreciated. Hearing from you is my favorite part of the day.
> 
> Prompt requests are encouraged.
> 
> You can also come say hi to me on tumblr. http://realityisoverrated-fic.tumblr.com Two sneak peeks were added to tumblr on Thursday.


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